Blog

For the second year running Mildmay Community Centre with its own wildflower green roofs played host for the Wildlife Gardening Forum Conference 2012. Justin was invited to talk on the process of creating a green roof for his own house, the Muse. It has become an oasis of wildlife with four beehives on the roof, nestled amongst flourishing native wildflowers, surrounded by the chatter of birds in the trees and young chicks in the nestboxes embedded in the walls; and all this in central London!

Not a single penny has been spent on heating so far this year at the Mildmay Centre (formerly the Mayville Community Centre) yet the indoor temperatures throughout the building remain very, very comfortable at between 21 and 22 degrees centigrade.

Why aren't all new buildings built like this and why isn't government mobilising a massively overdue mass-retrofit in the UK in order to save money, save energy, reduce carbon emissions, save the planet, and create new jobs in a new green economy? Wake up UK government! WAKE UP!

Our client at Coombe Farm has sent us a photo of progress on site of his self-build project. The building, a converted Dairy Barn is part of a small collection of buildings designed by bere:architects around a several hundred year old thatch cottage and is being constructed to the Passive House standard.

There’s something magical about the lantern like quality in the darkness. A beacon project for others to follow! Keep up the good work James!

We've just won approval for triple glazing (with numerous caveats) on the new build part of our Exmouth Market project but this success is tempered by a planning officer on another project in another borough who is worried that external insulated render on the rear of a building might be seen by passengers on a train (through the trees). Obviously the glimpse of render from a moving train could clearly never cause offence to even the most staunch supporter of profligate fossil fuel wastage. But maybe there's a risk that the train breaks down at the bottom of the garden?

The cost analysis template has been designed by quantity surveyor Richard Whidborne of e-Griffin Consulting in collaboration with bere:architects as part of their Passive House Cost Project (PHCP), to enable all cost data to be analysed in a consistent recognisable manner. This template is based very closely on the RICS New Rules of Measurement: Order of Cost Estimating and Elemental Cost Planning for Capital Building Works (second edition).